Derby's Street Lighting PFI Contract

West Bank Avenue, Darley Ward

The equipment being removed consisted of the following items in 1997:

Seq. No. Lamp Number Location Lamp Type Watt Isolation Point
1 107085 OS NO 6A N/A N/A Y
2 97070 1ST FR DUFFIELD RD SXPL2 35  
3 97071 O/S NO 2 SXPL2 35  
4 97072 O/S NO 7 SXPL2 35  
5 97073 OS NO 9 SXPL3 35  
6 97074 OS NOS 11/15 SXPL2 35  
7 97075 OS NO 12 SXPL2 35  
8 97076 OS NOS 25/27 SXPL2 35  
9 97077 OS NO 37 SXPL2 35  
10 97078 OS NO 39 SXPL2 35  
11 97079 OS NOS 28/30 SXPL2 35  

The following photographs were taken on Sunday, 29th May 2011.

As this road falls within a Conservation Area, the new lighting here was a little different to the normal equipment installed on the PFI's relighting schemes - the columns are 6 m in height; painted black, and each is fitted with a Metcraft Victoria post-top lantern running a 60 Watt CPO-TW lamp. The relighting of this road proved somewhat controversial with residents, who questioned in local media why this road should be lit with the 'heritage' equipment when other roads in Darley Abbey had been lit with more standard equipment.

A pre-1981 Thorn Beta 5 35 Watt SOX lantern was first from Duffield Road.

 

The stainless steel bowl toggle is evidence of this lantern's age - a plastic toggle appeared in later versions.

 

The second new column had no outgoing equivalent.

The following installation did have an outgoing equivalent, however. A later shallow-bowled Beta 5 was fitted here; this may have replaced another, older Beta 5, which itself may have replaced an 80 Watt MBF lantern.

 

The column may no longer have been in use by the time that these pictures were taken - the inspection door was had been removed; revealing the single armoured cable termination and (upside-down) Lucy MC040 cut-out. The isolation point for this column was a feeder pillar located adjacent the entrance to Victor Avenue.

 

The next column supported the same style of Beta 5. As the door was still in place on this installation, it may still have been in use at the time.

 

A GE-branded SOX lamp was fitted in this lantern.

 

The portion of this Stewart & Lloyd column that was closest to the ground was of a slightly wider diameter than the rest of the column base was.

 

As the focus turns away from the Beta 5s and is instead concentrated on the Victorias...

     

Don't be alarmed; the two columns at this location were not leaning - it's just the perspective created as a result of the gradient along this part of the road!

 

A Philips lamp was fitted in this Beta 5.

 

The large radius of the swan neck bracket attached to this column suggested that a top-entry lantern had once been fitted.

 

I'm watching you!

 

This column had similarly been decommissioned - the "Tamtorque" band that once secured the door had been discarded alongside. The heavy rusting present around the column base acts as a reminder as to what the PFI should be there for! An AEI cut-out was fitted here.

 

A veteran Revo 'Hull' cast iron column followed; this is likely to date from when the road was built - this is MY idea of 'heritage' lighting!

 

I can't imagine the replacement lighting still being here in almost eighty years' time!

After our brief nostalgia trip, the next outgoing column was far modern - a Philips MI 26 lantern was fitted here.

 

The final outgoing and new columns along here (before the road became the already-relit Wheeldon Avenue) were once again installed alongside each other. Another cast iron column, a Revo 'Moseley', complete with an attractive swan neck bracket, were awaiting removal here.

 

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